Hydrocarbon fuel burner



E /a U11/5 E. D. NGRTON Filed Nov. 22, 1957 HYDROCARBON FUEL BURNER Jan. 14, 1941.

Patented im. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward D. Norton, Minneapolis, Minn. Application November 22, 1937, Serial No. 175,844

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'Ihis invention relates to fuel burning appara tus, particularly adapted for oil burner construction in use in connection with a furnace, but also applicable to other heating apparatus where liquid fuel is utilized.

It is an object of my present invention to provide an exceedingly simple and highly eiiicient liquid fuel burning apparatus of the class referred to which may be manufactured and operated at very low cost.

It is a further object to provide a hydrocarbon fuel burner of low cost which has a high eiliciency for combustion: which can be easily installed in furnaces and other heating devices and 13 which minimizes danger of explosion.

More speciflcallyit is an object to provide a hydrocarbon fuel burner which utilizes a rotary distributor receiving discharged liquid fuel and throwing the same downwardly in small particles against a lstationary distributor forming a part of the burner pot. In this connection the burner pot is provided with a source of air supply and means for assuring efiicient distribution of such air to aid combustion.

A further object is. in a hydrocarbon fuel burner .of the class described, to provide effective means for insulating and cooling the fuel supply pipe to prevent carbonization of the fuel as well as to provide driving means for the rotary distributor which is not dependent upon a motor or other driving mechanism.

'I'hese and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing. wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through a hot air furnace having an embodiment of my invention installed. operatively, therein;

Fig. 2 isl a detail vertical section on a larger scaleshowing the upper portion ofthe vertical air duct with the fuel Pipe, distributor shaft and propeller mounted in the upper portion thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. l:

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line I-l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line l-i 5o of Fig. 2 showing one of the guide bearings for the rotary distributor shaft, and

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section through the lower portion of the vertical air duct showing the lower Vdischarge end of the fuel pipe and the ross tary distributor element mounted below the same.

As shown in the drawing. my apparatus is applied to a more or less conventional type of hot air furnace having the usual cylindrical outer casing O and the inner casing I axially disposed therein and spaced from the outer casing to pro- 5 vide an annular air heating chamber which communicates at its upper end with the usual dome D for collecting the heated air and distributing the same to a number of hot air ducts.

A nre pot P is mounted in the bottom of the 1 inner casing I and is constructed of fire clay or other suitable `material capable of withstanding high temperatures. Inner casing I in its upper portion forms, of course, the usual combustion chamber and a smoke discharge flue F commu- 15 nicates with the upper portion of the combustion chamber.

In accordance with my invention, an elongated, downwardly extending air duct It open both at Y its upper and lower ends is mounted, preferably, 20 axially of the inner furnace casing I, as shown having its upper or air intake end disposed within the hot air dome D and enlarged, as shown, with reference to the main portion of the duct. A vertical fuel pipe Il is axially mounted within 25 duct Il anni communicates at its upper end with a horizontal fuel supply pipe I2 which is connected to a source of fuel (not shown). No pressure is needed onthe fuel with my apparatus.

In the form of the invention shown the conv30 nection sbetween the vertical fuel pipe Il and the supply pipe Il is by means of a cross-shaped lltting Il having a plug Ila in its upper end and having one of its horizontal passages connected with supply pipe I2 by means of a suitable nip- 35 ple. The opposite horizontal passage is provided with a fixed stud of supporting member Il which, with the supply pipe, supports the pipe assembly within and axially of air duct I0. Fuel pipe ii is open, as shown, at its lower` end to 40 form a discharge, and directly below this discharge is mounted a rotary distributing member l5, as shown of truncated conical shape, disposed axiallyof the lower open end of pipe H and preferably carrying a series of circumferentially 45 spaced distributing arms I5a (see Fig. 6). Rotary distributor I5 is fixed to the lower end of the distributor shaft I6 which is mounted axially within oil pipe Il. the upper end thereof extending through the plug Ila in the top of the iitting I3 and rotatively mounted therein. A propeller l1, adapted to be driven by a downwardly moving flow of air through the air duct, is fixed to the upper end of distributor shaft IB above the fitting it and has a hub Ila provided with a 5| rounded lower end which bears against the top of the plug I3a, the plug thus fumls'ning a suitable thrust bearing for the shaft I6 and propeller Il.

Spa-ced bearing guides I 3 are provided in the interior of the fuel pipe II through which distributor shaft I8 passes and the oil pipe II is centered axially of the air duct I by suitable means vsuch as two or more spaced brackets I9 (see Figs.

2 and 5). A butterfly valve 20 is mounted within the medial portion of the air duct I0 for swinging movement on a horizontal axis. The axis, it will be noted, is olf center of the buttery so that the butterfly will normally be disposed in an inclined position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, through gravity. In the case of a slight backdraft or pull' from sudden combustion, the butterfly 25 will close, preventing upward movement of the products of combustion through the air duct. e

Axially disposed below th lower open end of air duct Ill as well as below the rotary distributor I and mounted in the bottom of re pot P, is a shallow burner pot 2 I, preferably constructed of suitable material having high heat conductivity. An air supply pipe 22, as shown disposed at ister 22a, communicates axially with the bottom of burner pot 2I and with the interior of a hol- Y low conical stationary distributor head 23 'which is disposed axially of the pot 2| as well. as of the duct I0 and rotary distributor I5. 'I'he lower edge of the stationary distributor 23 is preferably spaced a short distance above the bottom of burner pot 2| by suitable lugs or other spacing means to provide an annularlv arranged air discharge passage at the lower edge of the distributor head.

Additional air dischargeI passages 23a are since such structure is not of the essence of this invention.

In operation the liquid fuel is supplied to the upper end of the vertical fuel pipe II and passes downwardly, being discharged at the lower end of pipe II upon the tapered upper end of the small rotary distributor I5. When the fuel is ignited flame directed by the burner pot and fire pot spreads outwardly about the air duct I0 and produces, asv do the particles of distributed fuel thrown out by therotary distributor I5, a downward draft of warm air taken from the dome of the furnace through the duct I0. This downward draft of warm air drives the propeller I'I land its associated shaft I6, thus rotating the clistributor I5. The downward draft of hot air materially aids the combustion and assists in the formation of an inverted truncated conical flame in the fire pot and lower portions of the combustion chamber.

The particles of hydrocarbon fuel thrown outwardly and downwardly by the rotary distribuhead 23, which is heated, in the operation of the device, to a high temperature. The discharged particles are efficiently and properly mixed with combustion supporting air upon the exterior of the distributor head 23 and in and about the sides of the burner pot. Air is discharged outwardly and upwardly from the annular lower edge of distributor head 23 as well as from the several air ports 23a in the upper portion of the head. The amount of air supplied through the pipe 22 may be regulated by shifting the position of the register valve 22a.

In said operation the particles of hydrocarbon fuel volatilize as they strike the hot conical distributor head and the downward draft of warm air from the lower end of the air duct I0 pushes the' volatilized fuel outwardly with respect to the vertex of the distributor head 23 and with respect to the peripheral wall of the burner pot 2|, where such volatile material is very effectively mixed with the upwardly rising air escaping below the lower edge of the distributor head as well as with the jets of air which emanate from the air passages 23a.

My device, in extensive tests, has shown a high degree of efficiency in combustion andv economy in combustion of fuel. No motor is required to rotate the distributor I5 and in operation the draft of air induced through the air duct I0 is considerable. The propeller and shaft have been found to rotate, in commercial forms of the device, at about 800 R.. P. M.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have invented a simple, economical and highlyv efficient hydrocarbon burner which may be very quickly and easily installed in conventional furnace structures now extensively utilized as well as in smaller heaters of various types, such as stock tank heaters, circulating air heaters for garages and small buildings and the like.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the forms, details, proportions and arrangement of parts-all within the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a liquid fuel burner, a downwardly extending air duct open at both its upper and lower ends, a fuel pipe disposed longitudinally within said air duct and spaced from the peripheral wall thereof, a rotary shaft disposed axially within said fuel pipe, a rotary distributor fixed to the lower portion of said shaft and having a downwardly directed lower extremity, said fuel pipe having an outlet disposed just above said rotary distributor and a burner pot disposed below said rotary distributor and having an upstanding stationary distributor portion of materially greater circumference than said rotary distributor adapted to receive and volatilize particles of liquid fuel discharged from said rotary distributor and means for driving said shaft.

2. In a liquid fue] burner, a downwardly extending air duct open at both its upper and lower ends, a fuel pipe disposed'longitudinally within said air duct and spaced from the peripheral wall thereof, a rotary shaft disposed axially within said fuel pipe and having means for driving the same, a rotary distributor fixed to the lower portion of. said shaft, said distributor having a downwardly directed lower extremity, said fuel pipe having an outlet disposed just above said rotary'distributor, a concave burner pot disposed below said rotary distributor, an upstanding conical stationary distributor head constructed of heat conductive material and having a circumference materially greater than that of said rotary distributor mounted in saidbumer pot in alignment with said rotary distributor and having means for discharging air outwardly therefrom.

3. In a liquid f uel burner, a casing forming a combustion chamber, a vertical air duct extending into said chamber and open at both its upper and lower ends, a fuel pipe disposed axially within said duct having a discharge adjacent the lower end of said duct,v a rotary fuel disintegrator and distributor mounted axially just below and to receive from said discharge. a concave burner pot mounted below said rotary distributor, an upstanding conical head disposed axially below said rotary distributor and having a circumference materially greater than that of said rotary distributor and adapted to receive disintegrated particles of liquid fuel. means for discharging air adapted in cooperation with the lower portion of said head and said concave re pot to project an upwardly moving inverted truncatedconical stream of air around the lower end of said air'duct, and a propeller connected with said rotary distributor and mounted some distance thereabove for driving said rotary distributor.

4. In a liquid fuel burner, a casing forming a combustion chamber, a substantially vertical air longitudinally within said air duct, means for driving said shaft, a rotary distributor having a series of circumferentially arranged depending distributing elements, said distributor being fixed to the lower portion of said shaft and disposed adjacent the lower end of said air duct, liquid fuel discharge means within said duct disposed above said rotary distributor for discharging thereon, and a burner pot disposed just below said rotary distributor and the lower end of said duct and arranged substantially concentrically there` with, said pot having a relatively large volatilizing area materially greater than the area defined by the circumference of said distributor, said area being adapted to receive particles of the liquid fuel dropped from the depending elements of said distributor, said pot having air inlet passages associated therewith for admitting an upward draft o1' air.

EDWARD D. NORTON. 

